Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Buys New HQ Building in Independence

The National Division of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the oldest labor union in North America, is moving its headquarters out of Downtown Cleveland, after almost a century and a half in the area. Its new HQ will be located in Independence.

The National Division of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the oldest labor union in North America, is moving its headquarters out of Downtown Cleveland after almost a century and a half in the area. Its new headquarters will be located in Independence.

Last week, the BLET announced that it has acquired the office building at 7061 E. Pleasant Valley Road. The purchase meets the requirements of the BLET Bylaws, which state that the National Division headquarters must be located in the Greater Cleveland area.

According to Cuyahoga County land records, the office property changed hands for $1.8 million. PropertyShark reports that the building was constructed in 1973. It stands two stories tall and encompasses 37,800 square feet of space. The real estate website also placed the property’s current market value at $2.9 million. RRZ Associates was the former owner.

The BLET is currently located in the 21-story Standard Building, at 1370 Ontario St. The union used to own the large office property but sold it in July 2014 to Weston Inc. for $3.9 million. The new owner plans to invest $60 million and turn the Standard Building into 287 apartments. A stipulation in the sale agreement allowed the BLET to lease back its space in the building and occupy it for a minimum of two years and a maximum of three.

“Work will begin immediately to fit the new property to our operations, and once completed, our new headquarters location will provide ample room for our National Division officers and staff in a more modern work environment. We will also use this opportunity to continue and expand our state-of-the-art education and training center,” BLET National President Dennis Pierce said in a statement on the union’s website.